Discover the best things to do in Les Eyzies, from museums to rivers

Les Eyzies is a small village, but it punches far above its size. Wedged between the Vézère and tall limestone cliffs, it calls itself the world capital of prehistory, and many of the best things to do in Les Eyzies can be reached on foot. Les Glycines, a 4-star house with a three-hectare park just outside the centre, lets you leave the car parked for a whole morning and explore at walking pace, a rare luxury in a region usually discovered by road.

The obvious first stop is the National Museum of Prehistory, five minutes away on foot. Its galleries are organised around portable art, the environment, early humans and their tools, which makes it a good introduction for adults and children alike. A few streets away, the Pôle International de la Préhistoire runs free exhibitions that put the sites of the valley in context before you visit them, a useful step for first-time visitors.

Nearby, the Grand Roc reveals a completely different underground world. Rather than paintings, its walls are covered with stalactites, stalagmites and delicate eccentrics, and the Grand Roc cave is the one UNESCO-listed site in the valley famous for its mineral formations rather than its art. Its neighbours, the shelters of Laugerie-Basse, sit almost at its entrance, so the two make an easy pairing. The site closes in winter and reopens each spring.

Five minutes from the village on the road to Sarlat, the Roc de Cazelle describes itself as a prehistoric park built against the cliffs. Its one-hour self-guided visit and a booklet of games and questions keep younger visitors busy, and the site sometimes runs spear-thrower initiations during school holidays.

For families wondering what to see when visiting Les Eyzies for the first time, these three stops cover a great deal of ground in a single morning, without ever spending long in the car. In the evening, a stroll along the riverbank, under the cliffs that tower over the rooftops, completes the picture. The light on the limestone at sunset is reason enough to stay one more night.

To make the most of the village, the hotel provides:

• Walking maps handed out at reception for the paths around Les Eyzies.
• A packed lunch prepared by the kitchen when ordered the day before.
• A lift serving the floors of the main building, handy for strollers.

Once the museum is done, some of the most memorable things to do around Les Eyzies lie just a few kilometres away, along the same river and the same line of cliffs. Five kilometres upstream, at Tursac, the Maison Forte de Reignac is a fortified house built straight into the rock face and listed as a historic monument. Visitors follow a signposted route through its furnished rooms with a guide booklet available in several languages. Open whatever the weather, it makes a useful plan for a rainy day, and dogs are welcome on the visit.

Ten minutes from Les Glycines, La Madeleine is a cliff village whose inhabitants only left at the close of the 19th century, after thousands of years of continuous occupation. An English audio guide for La Madeleine tells the story of the families who sheltered under its overhanging rock, and the walk through the site offers fine views over a bend of the Vézère. It is classified, like the other great sites of the valley, as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The river itself is the other great playground. In season, canoes and kayaks are rented just across the road from Les Glycines for a gentle paddle beneath the cliffs, an outing that suits families and friends alike, with calm stretches that require no previous paddling experience whatsoever. Walkers can ask for route maps at the front desk, and cyclists can hire bikes with a day's notice to explore the quieter lanes of the valley at their own pace. Wooded slopes and small hamlets line the way, far from the busier roads of summer.

Among the outdoor things to do in Les Eyzies, a picnic is often the simplest pleasure. The hotel kitchen can prepare a basket the evening before, ready to take on the trail or the water. Golfers have an 18-hole course twenty minutes away at La Marterie, and the Thot park, among the outings the hotel suggests, is at a similar distance. For castles, gardens and villages further afield, with driving times from the house, see the page listing activities in the Dordogne.

For outings further afield, guests can rely on:

• Bicycles to rent, booked through reception the day before.
• Free pétanque sets for a friendly game in the park on your return.
• An outdoor pool set in the lawns, warmed throughout the summer.

After a day between museums, cliffs and river, Les Glycines offers a calm return. Built in 1862 as a coaching inn, the house keeps an intimate scale with twenty-five rooms, and its past guests include King Charles III, Dalida and Yves Montand. The garden, with its weeping willows, roses and beehives, is a lovely place to sit at the end of the afternoon, and a swim in the heated pool rounds off summer days. Every category is presented on the page about accommodation at Les Glycines, and four of them suit travellers who want to make the most of the village:

• Classic Room: a practical base on the upper floor, facing the courtyard.
• Junior Suite Terrace: a lounge and direct access to the park.
• Lodge: an independent house in the grounds for up to four people.
• Ecolodge Suite: a separate bedroom and a large south-facing terrace.

At dinner time, the house has two tables to choose from. Chef Pascal Lombard, who works with local producers and makes black truffle his signature, cooks for both: the relaxed Bistro and Le 1862, holder of a Michelin star, open according to the season. Menus and opening days are listed under dining at Les Glycines. A glass of armagnac by the fire in the bar is the traditional way to end a long and busy evening, while the wine list draws on a cellar of around five hundred references.

Those who prefer to unwind before dinner, after a long day outdoors, can book a time slot at the Sothys spa, reserved for adults, with its heated pool, hammam and sauna. Treatments at the Institute next door are described on the spa page. Spending a few nights here is the easiest way to enjoy all the things to do in Les Eyzies at your own pace, rather than squeezing them into a single rushed day. Visiting Les Eyzies from a base in the village also means fewer kilometres and more time to linger at every single site. Drivers of electric cars will also appreciate the Tesla and Porsche chargers on site, which keep batteries full for the next day's excursions across the valley.